Opinions

African colleagues have asked me why Rwanda, a tiny country of 12 million people, has more political opponents living in exile than, say Uganda of 43 million, Kenya of 50 million or even Nigeria with almost 200 million people? Why do you put politicians in jail?   I said to…

“There is none amongst you, who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.” – Sahih al-Bukhari 2320, Book 41, Hadith 1 Vol. 3, Book 39, Hadith 513    …

The road to UHC is different for every country, but civil society leadership is central to bringing the voices of the people—including girls and women—to policy development processes. Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the idea that everyone everywhere should have access to good quality, affordable health services, is one of the…

The effects of climate change are manifesting all over the world, evident in wildfires and hurricanes including the recent cyclones in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania, which have left thousands dead, millions displaced and billions of dollars’ worth of property destroyed.     The major argument about climate change on…

Humanitarian disasters have led to an unprecedented level of forced displacement.   The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports more displaced persons now than at any time since the end of the Second World War. We are witnessing, as never before, large movements of people, which demonstrate how interconnected…

Access to finance and infrastructure funding can help Africa’s economic development journey. Islamic finance can increase access to finance and can help bridge the infrastructure gap in Africa.   The G20’s German Presidency introduced a new initiative for sustainable economic development in Africa known as the G20 African Partnership. The partnership offers…

Africa is living in a bubble of deception, equating infrastructure development with civilisation. There are airports and roads and developments taking place everywhere and this is good. Without a concerted movement towards civilisation-based thinking, the Africa rising dream will continue to be that—a dream. I was at a meeting recently…

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, donors must reconsider their approach and commit to delivering aid in a way that prioritizes alleviating poverty The first thing apparent in the latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee’s figures was that for the second year in a row, global aid levels have decreased.…

There are plenty of proud male feminists, but to make equality a reality we need to draw more into the conversation   Men have always played critical roles in the women’s movement. From John Stuart Mill to Fredrick Douglass, male allies have long supported the struggle for gender equality. And…

“A single bracelet does not jingle” – this African proverb contextualises the key ingredients of inclusive wealth creation that Africa urgently needs – which is that wealth cannot be created through one or few sectors, but by convening complementary strengths across multiple sectors and disciplinary backgrounds towards maximising the productivity…